UAAP teams La Salle and the University of the East scored hard-fought victories over Cebu squads on Friday night in the Cebu stop of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex.
The Green Archers survived the hard-fighting University of the Visayas Green Lancers, 61-56, while the Red Warriors raced off to a huge 28-point lead then held off the University of San Carlos Warriors, 76-68.
La Salle, led by Jeron Teng and Arnold Van Opstal, drew a sizable crowd and did not disappoint, erecting a 46-39 lead heading to the last period after a sizzling 12-0 run.
The Lancers, the reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation champions, fought back behind the perimeter shooting of Chris Perolino and Rhaffy Octobre and got to within one, 56-57, with 1:24 to go.
La Salle’s height and heft though, proved too much as UV’s two imports fouled out one after the other, with Van Opstal canning a putback for a 59-56 cushion.
UV then hastened their fall, first with an offensive foul committed by Philippine under-18 national team member Leonard Santillan followed by two passing miscues that sealed their fate. Teng and Almond Vosotros hit a free-throw each to settle the final tally.
Jason Perkins paced the Archers with 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists. A tough match-up though, awaits them on Saturday evening as they battle the unbeaten Southwestern University Cobras in what is a rematch of the finals of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League last December.
UE held a 65-37 lead before import Shooster Olago and Ian Ortega led a USC fightback that pulled them to within eight, 67-75, but USC ran out of time and suffered its fourth loss in five games.
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